OB, MANUAI, OF THE APIARY. 261 



with small tacks. Some bee-keepers use U-shaped pieces of 

 wire or tin to hold the comb in the frame. 



Captain Hetherington has invented and practices a very 

 neat method of fastening- comb into frames. In constructing 

 his frames, he bores small holes through the top, side and 

 bottom bars of his frames, about two inches apart ; these holes 

 are just large enough to permit the passage of the long spines 

 of the hawthorn. Now, in transferring comb, he has but to 

 stick these thorns through into the comb to hold it securely. 

 He can also use all the pieces, and still make a neat and secure 

 frame of comb. He finds this arrangement convenient, too, 

 in strengthening insecure combs. In answer to my inquiry, 

 this gentleman said it paid well to bore such holes in all his 

 frames, which are eleven by sixteen inches, inside measure. 

 I discarded such frames because of the liability of the comb 

 to fall out. 



Having fastened all the nice worker-comb into the frames 

 — of course, all other comb will be melted into wax — we place 

 all the frames containing brood together in the center of our 

 new hive, especially if the colony is weak, or the weather cool, 

 and confine the space by use of the division-board, adding the 

 other frames as the bees may need them. We now place the 

 new hive on the stand, opening the entrance wide, so that the 

 bees can enter anywhere along the alighting-board. We then 

 shake all the bees from the box, and any young bees that may 

 have clustered on any part of the old hive, or on the floor or 

 ground, where we transferred the comb, immediately in front 

 of the hive. They will enter at once and soon be at work, all 

 the busier for having passed "from the old house into the 

 new." In two or three days remove the wires, or strings or 

 sticks, when we shall find the combs all fastened and smoothed 

 off, and the bees as busily engaged as though their present 

 home had always been the seat of their labors. 



In practicing this method, many proceed at once to trans- 

 fer without drumming out the bees. In this case the bees 

 should be well smoked, should be driven, by the use of the 

 smoker, away from the side of the old hive where the combs 

 are being cut loose, and may be brushed direct from the old 

 combs into the new hive. This method will only be preferred 



